Ecclesiastes 8:8

"No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death; and there is no discharge in the time of war, and evil will not deliver those who practice it."authority to restrain the wind" -"wind" here is translated "spirit" in the KJV. If we take the word here to mean spirit, then the verse is teaching that no one has power to retain the soul when God calls for it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Hebrews 9:28). The wind is uncontrollable (Prov. Ecclesiastes 27:16). The thought could be seeing that it is obvious that no man can restrain the wind, how much more is man helpless to hold his own soul captive. No amount of human cunning can prevent or cheat death. If this statement is talking about death, then here it is being asserted that no man can avoid death.

"or authority over the day of death" -not only is man incapable of avoiding death, man is also powerless to determine the day that he will die. Generally, for most people, the day of death is completely unexpected. Hence we see the folly of trying to "time" when we should repent, or try to squeeze as such sin in before it is too late to repent. "the day of his death he cannot determine" (Know). This verse also infers that suicide is the height of human arrogance, and exercising. decision that belongs exclusively to God. Here is also one more reason why worry and anxiety are so fruitless. Worrying about our health won't prolong our lives (Matthew 6:27). If anything, anxiety will shorten our life.

"no discharge in the time of war" -Human beings are not only helpless in face of death, but also they stand helpless before many purely physical situations. Once the battle begins, we can't merely opt out or refuse to participate any longer. Like death, war is something that once it starts you are "locked in" until the war is over. There is. great lesson here for all political and military leaders and every citizen. Getting into. war is easy, getting out is another thing. In some way or another the entire nation is going to feel the impact of any war. We are fooling ourselves if we think that war can be sanitized, in our day of technology we somehow think that we can conduct. neat and clean war,. war in which nobody on our side gets hurt.

"evil will not deliver those who practice it" -"Unfaithfulness strikes its own master" (Keil/Del p. 344) (Proverbs 11:19; Ecclesiastes 13:6). People often sin and compromise for they feel that such will deliver them from trouble. This is basically one of the assumptions behind situation ethics. That in certain tough situations, practices which the Bible labels as sin, actually can help us stay out of trouble. "The wicked could raise the question: 'Deliver from what?' The inference is strong regarding the necessity of escape. One will reap what he sows" (Kidwell p. 208). Sin not only fails to deliver, but is also condemns!